Paris and the Ile-de-France Region

The kilometer zero of French routes marks the beginning of your Veloscenic journey! Find the famous wind rose marking this point in front of Notre Dame Cathedral before leaving the City of Lights. Once you have reached Montparnasse, the Coulée Verte (greenway) leads you southwest, away from motorized traffic, to Sceaux and Massy. Then, you follow in the Sun King’s footsteps heading to Versailles and take a breath of fresh air in the Chevreuse Valley and the forest of Rambouillet. Another way offers a less hilly route by Orsay, Limours and Saint-Arnoult in Yvelines. This option (in red on the map) is not signposted yet. We advise to download the roadbooks and gps tracks or prefer the route by Versailles.

The 8 stages of the section « Paris and the Ile-de-France Region »

Once you have found the wind rose marking the kilometer zero, you can head for Montparnasse and the place de la Catalogne, which is the start of a 15 km-long greenway for an easy and safe exit from the heart of the capital! This famous Coulée verte is a continuous linear park that takes you without a car to Massy. Do not hesitate to make a stop in the remarkable park of Sceaux along the route!

Take a deep breathe, you arrive in the Yvelines county, the wooded area of Ile-de-France. Next step: Versailles and its amazing Palace. Discover the Hall of Mirrors and the stunning gardens designed by Le Nôtre as well as many other surprises. To reach Versailles, follow the Bièvre valley and enjoy the UNESCO world heritage of this royal city!

After a royal stop in Versailles, head for the Natural Park of the Chevreuse Valley, a regional park with such a rich natural, cultural and architectural heritage. This stage is rather difficult and is suited to seasoned cyclists. You cycle through authentic villages, but the most surprising awaits you on the next stage.

Here you discover the Chevreuse Valley, full of many treasures: châteaux, museums, old wash houses… This stage, before arriving in Rambouillet, is packed with things to see, but is more geared to intermediate cyclists, as there are a steep slope in Choisel and traffic is very heavy on two sections. Those who tackle this stage will be rewarded by some beautiful landscapes.

Watch out! This stage is a provisional route, not signposted and can be discontinuous. This stage first takes you along a series of streets and roads leading to the newly laid-out greenway that follows the former route of the Aérotrain near Gometz-la-Ville. We advise to download roadbooks and GPS tracks in order to guide you.

Watch out! This stage is a provisional route, not signposted. This stage follows quiet little roads leading you into the clean air of the Chevreuse Valley Natural Park. As you enter the Yvelines county, there are some challenging slopes, but then you get to the nice cycle tracks through Rambouillet Forest that rewards all your previous efforts. We advise to download roadbooks and GPS tracks in order to guide you.

The first part of this stage is not signposted (see route in red colour). However, the route is very pleasant, taking you along quiet roads as soon as you leave Saint-Arnoult. You quickly plunge into the magnificent Rambouillet Forest, criss-crossed by cycle tracks. Make the most of detours to the Villeneuve mill in Saint-Arnoult, much loved by the poet Aragon, and, on a different note, visit the Rambouillet's animal park.

The route is provisional for this last stage before you leave the Ile-de-France Region, but it is very charming. After exploring the Jardin Anglais at Rambouillet, join the Guéville Valley, with pleasant little roads leading to the pretty town of Epernon, perched above the confluence of three rivers.